As Vietnamese footballers and athletes welcome the Year of the Horse 2026, emotions run high and varied after a long year of competitions far from home.

When asked, “Will there be Tet bonuses this year?”, many players in the V-League or First Division simply fall silent. For some clubs, Tet bonuses are a distant luxury. Teams like Thanh Hoa are still struggling with financial uncertainty, leaving little room to think about holiday rewards.

Traditionally, clubs distribute “hot bonuses” for each win as a form of Tet (Lunar New Year) bonus. According to regulations, a V-League victory can bring about VND400-500 million (approximately US$16,400-20,500), usually disbursed before the Lunar New Year. If funds are delayed, players must wait patiently.

The The Cong Viettel club remains among the few still maintaining Tet bonuses beyond performance rewards. The team even sends gifts and cash to players’ parents, a touching gesture that reached families before the holidays.

In a special gesture, club leaders also gave lucky money to the children of foreign players. Such gestures help international members of the military team feel the warmth of Vietnamese Tet culture, deepening their bond and commitment to the club.

At HAGL, players are granted a generous holiday break from the 25th of the last lunar month to the 4th day of the new year - one of the longest breaks in the league. The club’s management rewarded coach Le Quang Trai and his team after two consecutive wins against SHB Da Nang and Ninh Binh.

Meanwhile, Ninh Binh’s squad will train until the 28th and return on the 3rd day of Tet, having lost their lead after two defeats. The players are still waiting for confirmation of any holiday rewards from club leaders.

For the U23 Vietnam team, this Tet feels particularly joyous. Stars like Van Khang, Xuan Bac, Thanh Nhan, and Dinh Bac received nearly VND10 billion (around US$410,000) in bonuses from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), benefactor Bau Duc, and sponsors following their success at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. Yet, for players such as Hieu Minh and Thai Son, Tet brings bittersweet feelings as both recover from surgery, facing a nine-month road to return to the field.

Beyond football, most Vietnamese athletes in other sports will likely receive no Tet bonuses. Their rewards depend solely on medal performances at the 33rd SEA Games. According to state regulations, Team Vietnam earned a total of VND31.655 billion (roughly US$1.29 million) in bonuses for SEA Games 33 achievements, including VND20.9 billion (US$850,000) for athletes and VND10.755 billion (US$440,000) for coaches.

The rowing team led the reward list with VND1.78 billion (US$72,900), followed by athletics (VND1.48 billion), swimming (VND1.31 billion), jujitsu (VND1.265 billion), shooting (VND1.035 billion), and the U22 football team (VND1.035 billion).

Individually, shooter Trinh Thu Vinh, who won four gold and one silver medal while breaking three SEA Games records, received the highest personal reward of VND265 million (US$10,800). Swimmer Vo Thi My Tien followed with VND220 million (US$9,000) for one gold, three silver, and five bronze medals, alongside track star Nguyen Thi Oanh with three golds and a new record.

However, for many athletes without medals or those still early in their careers, Tet remains a quiet homecoming. They often return to their hometowns empty-handed, perhaps receiving small travel stipends or symbolic gifts from their training centers - tokens of encouragement rather than financial reward.

Dai Nam